Former NFL scout: Robert Saleh can unlock ‘to another level’ a different Jeffery Simmons monster we’ve never seen
Jeffery Simmons is the heartbeat of the Titans defense. But could he have an even bigger year than he’s ever had before thanks to the changes Robert Saleh is bringing to town?
It’s hardly controversial to declare Jeffery Simmons the best player on the Titans’ roster. But it’s easy to lose sight of how there are levels to greatness.
Simmons had a career year in 2025, taking his game to new heights from what had already been a career of dominance. But what if I told you there’s a good reason to believe he can be even more impactful in Robert Saleh’s defense this fall?
Mina Kimes and Brentley Weissman just laid out the compelling argument.
How Jeffery Simmons becomes Robert Saleh’s X-Factor in 2026
The latest episode of ESPN’s “The Mina Kimes Show” featured former Chargers scout and A to Z Sports writer Brentley Weissman. The duo broke down their picks for the biggest X-Factor player on each AFC team in 2026, trying to focus in on the most impactful names that aren’t the most talked about.
Weissman couldn’t help himself with the Titans, though, choosing Jeffery Simmons as his pick. But while the name is hardly a hot take, the reasoning arguably is.
“I had to go Jeffery Simmons,” Weissman confessed. “I did think about John Franklin-Myers coming from Denver or Jermaine Johnson, who they traded for from the Jets. But to me, this defense starts and ends with Jeffery Simmons. He’s the best player on the team. And last year, he led the team of 11 sacks. First in the NFL out of interior offensive defensive lineman with a 19.4 pass rush win rate.”
I’ve often referred to Simmons as a gravitational, planetary player. This defense revolves around him when he’s on the field. His lack of national exposure is due to the recent irrelevance of his team, not his lack of domination. If Myles Garrett didn’t exist last season, Simmons would have absolutely been on the short list of players with a case for Defensive Player of the Year.
But what reason is there to think he can have an even more productive season in 2026? Weissman explains:
“This Robert Saleh 4-3 scheme asks the 3-tech to get upfield to penetrate more than what his 3-4 hybrid scheme last year did. I think Simmons could be on another level this year. I think he could go for a 13-14 type of sack season, and really allow the players I mentioned, John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson to eat on 1-on-1ma. I think this front four is drastically improved since last season.”
There’s no question the front is going to be improved, even though it was hardly a weakness in 2025. The addition of JFM, Johnson, Jacob Martin, rookie Keldric Faulk, and the return of Femi Oladejo add another gear or juice than they’ve had in some time.
The argument for yet another Simmons career-year goes beyond the X’s and O’s and bleeds into Saleh’s history.
“When you think about Robert Saleh’s scheme and the players he’s coached at that 3-tech spot, DeForest Buckner, Arik Armstead, Quinnen Williams, all three of those players had their best year under Saleh. Jeffery Simmons is more powerful than all three of those players. And so I think he’s just going to be a monster this year.”
Dominant fronts have been the defining factor in most Saleh defenses, and that won’t be different in Tennessee in 2026. Saleh relies on zone coverage and cerebral players in his secondary to provide enough back-end support for his ferocious front. He’s reached the Super Bowl doing exactly that in San Francisco.
Simmons having a game-wrecking stat line in 2026 would directly translate to wins if the the offense holds up their end of the bargain. I’ll leave you with this dramatic stat that Mina Kimes injected to the conversation:
“He was second only to Chris Jones in pass rush win. And when he got pressure, the Titans defense allowed a QBR of 0.8. That’s insane. So he was not only incredibly good at winning, but when he did win, he was able to affect the quarterback in a way that killed plays”